Tongue-support



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVA NELSON BOOKS, OF ALPHA, MISSOURI.

TONGUE-SUPPORT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 3 dated June 1887- Application filed April 29, 1887. Serial No. 236,570. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALVA NELsoN RooKs,

of Alpha, in the county of Grundy andState -ble in construction which will effectually take the weight from the horses neck and not interfere in the least with the king-bolt, and wherein the pole or tongue may be adjusted to various inclinations.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device attached to a tongue, andFig. 2 is a side elevation, partly sectional, of the tongue, having the support applied and attached to .a vehicle.

In carrying the invention into eifect two parallel and spaced semi-elliptical springs, A A, made up of three or more leaves, are provided at one end with eyes a and pivotally at.- tached through said eyes by one pivotal bolt, a, to the under surface of the tongue B, near the inner end, the inner ends of said springs being adapted to bear against the under side of the forward aXle at each side of the king bolt, so as not to interfere with the same.

An aligning-sleeve, b, is made integral with each spring A A upon the under side near the center, and a'tubular washer, b, is made to intervene the springs in the same horizontal planewith the said sleeves, and through v the sleeves and washer a bolt, 0, is passed and secured, adapted to form the fulcrum for a pivoted upwardly-extending stirrup, D.

The stirrup D is adapted to project upward I each side of the tongue and engage the upper edges of a saddle, E, which saddle, straddling the tongue, is held in firm engagement therewith by a pin, 6, passing through said tongue and apertures e in the lower sides of the saddle, which pin may also be employed to retain the tongue in position upon the vehicle;

The upper edges of the saddle E are provided with a series of aligning transverse grooves, H, purposed to receive the upper end of the stirrup D. Thus, should a slight upward inclination of the tongue be desired, the stirrup is made to engage the lower rear grooves; to obtain a downward inclination, the lower forward groove, and for a horizontal position of the tongue the stirrup engages the grooves at the top.

It will be readily observed that thedevice herein described supports the pole in any de sired position, and that in consequence of its use no strain or weight is brought to bear upon the horses neck. The springs, being double, do not interfere with the king-bolt, which passes between them, and are very strong; and the adjustable connections between the springs and saddle are made in such a simple manner that the most ignorant may comprehend their purpose.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- In a tongue-support, the combination, with the parallel spaced Ieafsprings A A, providedwith eyes at their front ends and pivoted-to the under side of the tongue of a vehicle, and an upwardly-extending stirrup, D, pivoted to said springs, of the saddle E, provided with a semicircular upper edge having a series of transverse grooves, H, adapted to receive the said stirrup, the said saddle attached to the upper surface of the vehicletongue, substantially as shown and described, and for the purposes herein described.

- ALVA NELSON BOOKS.

Witnesses:

WM. J. DUNN, O. A. STEFFEN. 

